our love is made for the big screen (are you my happy ever after)
by geekchic64
Summary: Lexa works at the movies and can't clean up the theater because Clarke won't stop crying in her seat even though the movie ended twenty minutes ago and everyone else has already left.


**Disclaimer**: I don't own _The 100_

**A/N: **Just a quick little one shot! Saw the prompt on tumblr and thought why not, ya know? So thank you for taking a chance on this fic and have a rad day!

Enjoy! X

* * *

Lexa hated her job. And, more often than not, she even despised it. But she was a senior in high school with her _own _car – which meant she needed gas money. And, well, money to do other fun things (not that _fun things _are a normal occurrence in Lexa's life. But, still). So she sucks it up, because at the end of the day, money is money – and Lexa needs money.

_Tondc Movie Theater._

It's a locally owned movie theater so it's not quite as up to date as the other commercial theaters, but it's still a relatively popular joint in Lexa's town. Especially on days like today; rainy, cold, and overall miserable outside.

Lexa sighed behind the counter as she watched the herd of people begin to file out of one of the theater rooms, blinking to try and adjust to the sudden light. Considering the majority of the people were younger kids and their parents, Lexa assumed it was one of the newer animated movies. Even though she worked _at _the movies, Lexa didn't bother to keep up with the current showings.

Lexa spent her time either behind the concession stand filling up bucket after bucket of popcorn (_seriously why do these people need this much popcorn for a two hour movie?)_, or cleaning up the empty theaters after a showing. Sometimes, if she managed to somehow irk her manager, Indra, she was also on bathroom duty.

She really hated bathroom duty.

Today, Lexa found herself arming herself with a broom and dustpan as she walked into battle at theater 7.

The movie ended about ten minutes ago, so she knew the credits had finished and everyone was gone. Even though little kids were often very disgusting and left many … interesting… messes to clean up, Lexa truly didn't mind this part of the job. It was quiet and away from the constant bustle of the ticket booth and concession stand. It gave her a moment to breathe (but not too deeply because _wow, yeah, okay, little kids and trash can also stink really badly_).

Lexa followed the aisle around a corner to start sweeping up the rows of seats, when she stopped in her tracks.

Right in the middle of the back section of seats, sat one person. It was a girl that looked around Lexa's age and she had pale skin and bright golden hair.

She was beautiful.

She was also crying. Very hard. And very loudly.

Lexa shuffled awkwardly in place. It wasn't uncommon for her to find a few stragglers after a movie – especially after a tear jerker which this one seemed to have been. What _was_ strange, however, was that usually those people weren't weeping goddesses.

_God, I am _so_ gay._

Lexa shook her head to clear the (rainbow) cobwebs and walked to the front of the theater. She cleared her throat loudly to alert the other girl of her presence, so as not to scare her. She kept her back to the other girl as she slowly yet mechanically made her way through each aisle. Occasionally, she would hear a sniffle from the back of the theater.

Glancing at her watch, Lexa saw that the next group of movie goers would probably start arriving in a couple minutes. She wanted to give the stranger enough time and privacy to compose herself, but it looked like the stranger was still steadily crying to herself.

Lexa rolled her shoulders and neck and sighed at the pops she heard and felt. Realizing she couldn't stall any longer, she made her way to the back section of the theater.

She kept her head down as she steadily walked up the stairs. Once she knew she was close to the stranger's row, she finally looked up.

_Okay, that is just not fair._

The girl's blonde hair actually seemed to be _shimmering _under the hard and (usually) totally unflattering theater lights. There was a freckle above her lip that Lexa had trouble looking away from. But it was the stranger's eyes – rimmed red from crying but were so blue they seemed almost electric – that had Lexa standing with her tongue in knots. Luckily the other girl seemed lost in thought staring at the blank screen ahead of her.

Finally, Lexa managed to stop standing like a love-struck _fool_ and remembered how to actually _communicate _with another human.

_If only Anya could see me now…_

"Excuse me… But are you alright?" The stranger finally directed their attention to Lexa, and Lexa felt like she was suddenly lit on fire. She watched the other girl's eyes grow wide and her already blotchy red face become an even deeper red.

"What? Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" Her voice was deeper than Lexa was expecting and it sent her knees slightly buckling. "I didn't even realize how long I've been sitting here, _crying _like some _baby._ Oh my god, how long _have _I been sitting here?" Lexa watched the girl scramble to retrieve her phone from her pocket and clicked it on to check the time. "Oh my _god _the movie was over twenty minutes ago! Raven's going to kill me! Maybe I won't have to tell her I was just sitting here crying, though. I could always say I went to _Starbucks _or something. Oh, damn, no I can't, because then Octavia will want to know where her drink was. Shit. I had to get gas? No; Raven and Jasper were with me when I filled up the car yesterday. Oh my god, she's going to kill me for being late. I wonder how much I can push the speeding limit going home… I could totally cut out like ten minutes and make up some ground. But, no, mom would kill me if she knew I drove like a maniac with the weather like it is. Ugh."

Lexa blinked rapidly.

… _Okay…_

Suddenly the stranger shot up from her chair and started to throw her jacket on and collect her trash to scramble from the theater.

And then Lexa did what she swore she would never do: she acted on impulse. All she knew was that she did not want this rambling stranger to leave just yet.

"Or you could always say you were filling out a survey for a chance to win free movie tickets."

The girl's eyes jumped back to Lexa and widened once again like she forgot Lexa was standing there.

"Oh my god, I totally forgot you were standing there."

Lexa quirked her lips upwards. "That is alright. You seemed to have been having a very intense monologue. I did not want to interrupt."

The other girl's face, once again, got red.

_She is cute._

"Oh man, I'm so embarrassed that you had to witness that. Honestly, I didn't expect to just sit here and cry for years after the movie was over. But, holy shit, that was an absolutely _heart wrenching _movie? Like, literally _how _is that a kid's movie?" It actually looked like she was waiting for Lexa to answer, so she mentally kicked herself to say something.

"Would you believe me if I told you I do not even know what movie you just watched?"

This time, the stranger gave a surprised laugh and Lexa knew it was something she wanted to keep hearing.

"Bullshit. You freaking work here. _At the movies!_" The other girl was now completely facing Lexa, her abrupt departure suddenly forgotten about.

Lexa's eyes flickered away. "Yes, well, I find that, even working here, I do not truly care for films." The other girl kept staring at her, so Lexa felt compelled to explain farther. "Um, I prefer to read. Books. I like reading books…"

Finally the other girl smiled and Lexa felt herself being able to breathe again.

"Okay, that's fair enough. Still, not knowing what movies are playing at your own _job _kind of sets a bad image, don't you think?"

Lexa felt her jaw twitch, until she saw the amusement dancing in the other's girl's eyes.

_Oh. That was a joke._

"Well, I suppose there is no point in me learning the titles if new ones will just replace them in a few weeks' time. If it is all temporary, then what is the point?"

The other girl raised an eyebrow in response. "Just because something may be temporary, doesn't mean it's not significant. It doesn't mean we can't _enjoy _it."

Lexa allowed a smirk to grace her face. "I have the feeling we are no longer just discussing films."

The girl gave a low chuckle and slow shook her head. "No, I suppose we're not." Suddenly she took a deep breath and took a step towards Lexa. "My name's Clarke, by the way," she offered with her hand outstretched in front of her.

_Clarke._

Lexa switched the broom and dustpan to her left hand, and reached out with her right to take Clarke's. They were slightly tacky, no doubt from the buttered popcorn she had probably been snacking on throughout the movie, but it was still enjoyable.

"Nice to meet you, Clarke. I am Lexa."

She watched Clarke's eye flicker down to her lips as she spoke and then repeated her name as they dropped each other's hands.

"Lexa. Well, it's very nice to meet you as well, Lexa. And I'm sorry you had to first meet me crying like a baby at an animated movie – usually I tend to make a slightly better first impression," Clarke finished with a self-deprecating chuckle.

"Well, you could have been cleaning up other people's messes with gum stuck to the bottom of your shoe and being forced to wear an ugly uniform."

Clarke blinked at Lexa. Then, without warning, she threw her head back in a mighty laugh.

Lexa, not being one known for her humor, was (pleasantly) surprised by this reaction. She felt her chest swell up with pride.

_Do not mess this up, Lexa._

Clarke finally controlled her laughter. The two girls simply stood there and exchanged shy smiles for what seemed like an eternity (but was, in actuality, only about ten seconds), until Clarke's phone buzzed in her hand, pulling her attention away.

Lexa swallowed past the lump in her throat and fixed her grip on the broom and dustpan. When she heard Clarke sigh, she looked back up.

"That was Raven," Clarke explained, shaking her phone to Lexa. "Again. She said I never texted her I had left – because obviously I haven't – and wants to know what the holdup is. Ugh. She's seriously never going to let me live this one down." Clarke began to type back a message on her phone.

"Well, the offer of the survey still stands, if you would like." Clarke glanced back up to Lexa. "Of course, if it would help ease the guilt, I could find an old survey for you to truly fill out." Clarke blinked at Lexa. "And the manager is actually very fond of me, so I can procure a set of free movie tickets for you, as well, Clarke."

Clarke only stared at Lexa, who was beginning to grow nervous under Clarke's steady gaze.

"Or, of course, you do not have to accept the offer. That is fine, as well."

Finally, Clarke seemed to have snapped out of her daze.

"What, oh my god, no! I mean, yes! Yes of course I would totally appreciate that, Lexa! Oh my god, thank you so much! You're a life saver!" Clarke had excitedly rushed over to Lexa and threw her arms around her shoulders, squeezing them and giving Lexa probably the best hug she's ever received in her life.

But, it's not like many people ever hugged Lexa, so she didn't really have a lot to compare it to.

But even if she did, she knew Clarke's hugs would still be pretty high on the list.

Lexa had just managed to barely wrap her right arm around Clarke's waist when Clarke realized what she was doing. She quickly pulled herself away and took a step back from Lexa.

Lexa immediately missed Clarke's warmth.

"Shit, I'm so sorry! I totally like just assaulted you, oh my god. Remember that part about me telling you I usually make a better first impression? I totally swear I wasn't lying about that. It just seems like you're the exception to the rule or something," Clarke's eyes widened as she said that, clearly indicating that she didn't mean to _actually_ verbalize her thoughts.

Lexa felt her cheeks tint pink.

"Well, I do not usually talk to crying pretty girls in movie theaters, but I guess you are an exception, as well, Clarke."

Clarke gave Lexa a surprised shy smile in return.

_Smooth, Lexa. Well done._

"Right, well, before I embarrass myself even further, how about the survey? I would prefer to actually fill it out so I'm not a _completely _terrible best friend." Lexa nodded and led Clarke out of the aisle. She never completely finished sweeping, but people were beginning to arrive for the other show, and really, a few popcorn kernels on the ground never hurt anybody.

Lexa disposed of the broom and dustpan outside of one of the custodian closets and made her way to the one ticket booth that wasn't currently in use. As she dug around under the counter for the old survey forms, Lexa glanced up at Clarke. She was slightly taken back to find the other girl already staring at her. But she was mostly taken back because it was as if during the short walk, Lexa had somehow forgotten how beautiful Clarke was.

_Ugh, forget Anya _seeing _you right now – just imagine what she would say if she could _hear_ you right now. She would never let you live it down. She would probably say something like she is shocked you have yet to use a corny line like _'did it hurt? When you fell from the sky? Because you must be an angel."_ Ugh; gross._

"Okay, so here is an old survey you can fill out. It is just a basic comment card, really. So while you fill out that, I will print you your free tickets. Are four tickets enough?"

"More than, thank you, Lexa. I really, really appreciate it," Clarke grinned at her. Lexa blushed.

"Of course, Clarke."

Lexa had just finished printing the tickets at the same time Clarke was filling out the last comment section of the survey. Clarke offered a small smile to Lexa as she flipped it over and slid it towards her. She took the tickets from Lexa's hand, and Lexa couldn't ignore the feeling of Clarke's fingers dancing over hers.

"Thank you again, Lexa. You totally come through for me."

"It is nothing, Clarke. Please have a nice night, and drive safely."

"Of course."

After another moment of the girls staring at each other, neither one of them wanting to leave, Clarke finally took a step backwards. With one last smile and a soft, "may we meet again," she turned and walked out the front doors of the theater.

Lexa watched her until Clarke was lost among the sea of cars and the fog left over from the rain. Lexa felt a smile tugging at her mouth as she thought back on the interaction with Clarke that was based on true serendipity.

Looking down, Lexa flipped over the cardstock to read what Clarke filled out.

She had circled all the highest ratings for the numerical questions, but it was the comment section at the bottom that had Lexa grinning like a fool.

"_The service is great – very personable. One Miss. Lexa deserves a promotion for her fantastic customer service and compassion for those who fall victim to heartbreaking children movies. Or, she at least deserves coffee."_

Below was Clarke's phone number.

Okay, so sometimes Lexa _really_ loved her job.


End file.
